India, June 20 -- A s the Hindi film industry debates the feasibility of eight-hour workdays for actors - especially working mothers - actor-director Renuka Shahane is offering a measured perspective grounded in both personal experience and professional insight. The conversation was reignited recently when actor Deepika Padukone's request for an eight-hour workday reportedly led to tensions with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, prompting wider industry discussion about on-set schedules, gendered expectations, and work-life balance. Renuka, whose latest directorial project Loop Line (Dhhaavpatti in Marathi) is set to screen at the New York Indian Film Festival, feels that the issue isn't as binary as it's being made out to be. "I don't want to make a general statement on it because I feel that even some male actors want to minimise work hours, not just female actors," she says, adding, "Many have come out and said they want more time with their families." The mother of two added that she's known women who work 18-hour shifts on television sets and raise their children alongside them: "That's a choice they've made. There shouldn't be compulsion - some mothers want or need to work longer hours." However, the 58-year-old emphasises that clear communication and respect between all parties is essential: "This is a creative field that requires collaboration. Unless you're all on the same page, there's no point moving ahead. Signing on the dotted line must be mutual. That sense of respect is non-negotiable." Loop Line, Renuka's animated short film, explores the often-invisible discrimination women face at home and in society. It's an unexpected pairing of format and theme - animation is still rarely used for mature, socially driven stories - but Renuka says the story itself demanded it. "When I was writing, I kept imagining the kind of escapism you see in animation. A mix of live action and animation would've diluted the experience. The story chose the medium."...